Gynaecomastia and scrotal rhacosis: two aesthetic surgical operations for men in Byzantine times

Justinian Rhinotmetos: A Byzantine Rhinoplasty?

In the eighth century, Justinian II was overthrown from his position as ruler of the Byzantine Empire. The young ruler's nose was amputated, and he was exiled. Ten years later, he regained the throne in a bloody coup. For decades, researchers have debated if Justinian also regained his nose through the ancient Indian rhinoplasty surgical technique, largely based on the Carmagnola statue in modern Venice. While a fascinating possibility, we ultimately conclude that it is highly unlikely that this ever occurred.

On the Surgical Treatments Related to Nephrological Issues in 'Alī b. al'Abbās al-Majūsī's (Haly Abbas) Kāmil al-Ṣinā'a al-Ṭibbiyya (The Perfect Book of the Art of Medicine)

OBJECTIVES

In this study, we translate from Arabic into English the chapters on surgical treatments related to nephrological issues in the ninth article of the second part of Haly Abbas' Kāmil al-Şinā'a al-Ṭibbiyya. Our aim was to contribute to the medical history literature, to compare these chapters with the relevant chapters in Paul of Aegina's Epitome, and to discuss findings in light of the related literature.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We examined the Cairo, Būlāq, copy of Kāmil al-Şinā'a al-Ṭibbiyya (printed in Arabic) and the manuscripts that are in the Istanbul University Rare Works Library, Yale University Library, and Süleymaniye Manuscript Library. We translated the chapters from Arabic to English. Translated chapters were then compared with the relevant chapters of Paul of Aegina's Epitome and discussed in light of the related literature.

RESULTS

Surgical treatments in nephrological issues are provided in Chapter 45 (On urination with a catheter) and Chapter 46 (On removing a stone from the bladder) of the ninth article of the second volume of Kāmil al-Şinā'a al-Ṭibbiyya. The same topics are covered in Section 59 (On catheterism and injection of the bladder) and Section 60 (On calculus) of Paul of Aegina's sixth book in the second volume. The information provided by Haly Abbas on these subjects was remarkably similar to the information provided by Paul of Aegina.

CONCLUSIONS

It is considered that Haly Abbas benefited from Paul of Aegina's knowledge of the causes of the bladder obstruction, the catheter to remove the accumulated urine, the catheter application technique, and all applications and treatments for stone removal.

Surgery for Gynecomastia in the Islamic Golden Age: Al-Tasrif of Al-Zahrawi (936-1013 AD)

The rise of European science during the Renaissance is greatly indebted to the flourishing of the sciences during the Islamic Golden Age. However, some believe that medieval Islamic physicians and in particular surgeons had been merely a medium for Greco-Roman ideas. Contrarily, in some medieval Islamic medical books, such as Al-Tasrif of Al-Zahrawi (936–1013), the surgical instructions represent a change in the usual techniques or are accompanied by a case history, implying that the procedure was actually undertaken. Along with the hundreds of chapters on different diseases and related medical and surgical treatments, Al-Tasrif includes a chapter on surgical techniques for gynecomastia. The present paper is a review of the description of the surgical management of gynecomastia by Al-Zahrawi as well as that of the ancient Greek, medieval, and modern medicine. Although Al-Zahrawi seemed to base his descriptions of surgery for gynecomastia upon those of Paulus of Aegina, his modification of the procedure and application of the medicinal substances might be indicative of Al-Zahrawi's own practice of the procedure. Al-Zahrawi's surgical procedures remained unchanged for many centuries thenceforward until the technological evolution in the recent centuries.